Bendigo: South Bendigo beats Strathfieldsaye in round 1 thriller

South Bendigo has started the season with a thrilling win over one of the Bendigo league heavyweights of recent years.

South Bendigo has made an early down payment on its off-season determination to charge up the ladder and help the Bendigo league turn the tide to becoming less predictable.

South beat last year’s losing preliminary finalist Strathfieldsaye by one point on Saturday after a recruiting blitz spearheaded by new co-coaches Troy Coates and Jack Fallon.

Coates returned to the Bendigo league from the Central Murray league with the latter among the top-10 most even competitions in the state last year.

South Bendigo’s Joel Swatton handpasses off as Strathfieldsaye’s Mitch Hallinan gives chase. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

In comparison, Bendigo was the fourth most uneven competition with an average winning margin of 81 points, up more than 20 points on 2023.

The average winning margin of round 1 BFL matches on Saturday was still 68 points, boosted by Gisborne’s 160-point thrashing of Kangaroo Flat.

Maryborough has entered recess this season.

“We’re obviously coming from a long way back last year,” Coates said.

“We’ve got a really tough start to the year and we will find out where we’re at soon enough.

“But everyone knows as a major league competition, (Bendigo) has been one of the most one-sided comps out there for a long time.

“You go through the history of the competition and it’s been the same five sides playing finals every year.

“It definitely needs to change.”

South Bendigo co-coach Troy Coates. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Tom Brereton, Kaiden Antonowicz, Macgregor Cameron and Fallon, all part of the recruiting blitz over summer, were among the best players for South.

Rival clubs have questioned the player points allocations handed to some of South’s recruits including Josh Nitschke (2 points), who followed Coates to South from Kerang, and Cameron (1 point), who has played less than 20 senior matches for the club.

South successfully applied to a five-member Bendigo league points panel for reductions.

Sandhurst downed another team tipped to push for finals this season, Castlemaine, by 54 points.

Castlemaine wasn’t helped by fresh injuries to recruit Josh Eyre and Kalan Huntly after the season-ending injury to former Maryborough coach Coby Perry.

South Bendigo and Strathfieldsaye lost Will Keck (knee) and Daniel Clohesy (shoulder) to long-term injuries in their match.

Sandhurst’s Fergus Greene attempts to spoil Castlemaine’s Brodie Byrne. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Strathfieldsaye was without James Schischka (foot), Malik Gordon (shoulder) and Jed Brereton (groin) in round 1 and Lachlan Gill will return to the SANFL after playing in the season opener.

South takes on Gisborne on Good Friday and could be bolstered by the addition of Jesse Collins and Cal Crisp, who missed round 1.

Originally published as Bendigo: South Bendigo beats Strathfieldsaye in round 1 thriller